We are the Defiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society. Our mission is to foster an interest in genealogy and preserve local genealogical records.

The Defiance County Chapter OGS does not have its own library. However, the chapter is actively involved in maintaining and expanding the material in all three Defiance County Libraries.

We are working to preserve our history and culture with an emphasis on Defiance County, Ohio. If you have anything historical about Defiance County you would like to share with us, please attend our next meeting or contact us at the P.O. or E-mail below.

PDF document of World War I Soldiers from Defiance County - This is a searchable PDF file that contains soldiers in World War from Defiance County. It can be found in the Military Section.

The following pictures and stories have been given to the Defiance Genealogy Society

Wilhelm Stork

Wilhelm Stork, known in the family as Willie, was born on July 27, 1869 in the Powellscreek Settlement, Highland Township, Defiance County, Ohio. He married Lottie B. Parmer (Parker) and she died giving birth to their first child in 1901. She was 25 years, 2 months and 27 days old.

Willie worked his parents’ farm until his death. His niece, Gertie Stork, daughter of Philip George Stork, made her home with him after her mother died in about 1905. She continued living in the homestead until her death in 1970.

Willie and his brother, H. Sim (Heinrich Simeon), were the organizers for the first telephone system in Ayersville, Highland Township. Willie was given the first number, “one ring,” which was his for a number of years.

Sarah Wiler Stork

Sarah Wiler was born on May 31, 1831 in Carroll County, Ohio, the daughter of John Wiler and Elizabeth Ann Waggoner. “In the company of her parents and siblings, Sarah migrated to the Powellscreek settlement in mid-1837, settling in the SW ¼ Section 17 of Highland Township. Sarah’s father appears to have first purchased only the eastern 80 acres of his eventual farm of 160 acres. He purchased the western half of his farm in 1851. In the 1850 Federal Census of Defiance County, John Weiler is showas as a farmer worth $500, but by 1870, his worth was listed as $4000. Sarah and her four siblings were confirmed in the Lutheran faith on July 30, 1854, at the German Evangelical Church (recorded at St. John Lutheran) by Rev. A. Detzer of St. Stephen Evangelical Lutheran Church of Highland Township, who served concurrently at St. John’s in Defiance.”

She married Johann Philipp Stork on March 9, 1851 in Defiance County, Ohio. Johann (called Philipp) was born in Arheilgen, Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany on January 9, 1824, the son of Johann Valentin Stork and Anna Catharina Bach.

“Philipp and Sarah, a farm couple, settled on forty acres in the SW ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 9 in the Powellscreek Settlement of Highland Township, Defiance County. Later, they also owned forty acres of the NW ¼ of the NW ¼ of Section 16, directly across the road from their established home in Section 9. Philipp built a new barn in Section 16, but died before it was completed. His funeral service was held in this barn, and he was first buried on this site near his two children who had died in infancy or youth. When Sarah died, his body was transferred to lie beside her in the Hill Cemetery in Section 10 of Highland Township.” Philipp died May 23, 1874.

“At Philipp’s death, forty-three year old Sarah now had to be the sole provider for their nine surviving children whose ages ranged from 3 to 22 years. Her son, John, married in 1877, leaving her only sixteen year old Philipp George and fourteen year old Adam to do the farm planting and harvesting. She kept her family together without fostering them out to other farms, with the exception of little Sarah (Sade), born 1871, who, according to the 1880 census and family lore, was placed in the care of another family. As each child became of an age for outside employment, they managed to find some type of work. Nevertheless, the family fell deeper and deeper into poverty. There were times they had nothing to eat. Reportedly, Sarah took discarded bones from her neighbors to make soup for her children. Her father was her bondsman when she had to post a security bond in order to borrow money. Her mother financed her burial.

Philipp and Sarah’s estate was not completely settled until the death of their granddaughter, Gertrude Stork Beindorf in 1970. Several of the children were given their share of the inheritance upon leaving the Defiance area in search of employment elsewhere. The others left the farm in the hands of their brother, Willie (Wilhelm) who took in his niece, Gertie, when her mother died.

The children of Philipp Stork and Sarah Wiler were:

1.John – born March 11, 1852, died March 2, 1932, married Elizabeth Wolfe.

2.Elizabeth – born August 19, 1853, died March 10, 1933, married Johannes Bremer

3.Frederick – born December 18, 1854, died in his youth and buried on the family farm, Section 16, Highland Township.

4.Suzanna – born May 2, 1858, died August 27, 1943, married Benjamin Diringer.

5.Marie Jane – born February 1860,died before 1874,buried on the family farm, Section 16, Highland Township

6.Philip George – born November 13, 1861, died March 1920, married first Elizabeth B. Mohr, and second, Ella Rachel Burke

7.Adam – born April 18, 1863, died June 4, 1943, married Emma Tabitha Skiver

8.Heinrich Simeon – born April 8, 1866, died October 8, 1919, married Lola Harrell

9.Matilda Caroline Catherine – born June 16, 1868, died December 31, 1957, married Americus Sabski Hendershot

10.Wilhelm – born July 27, 1869, died July 19, 1929, married Lottie Parmer (Parker in some records, but Parmer on the back of this portrait)

11.Sarah J. – born August 1871, died November 21, 1947, married Warren Eugene Hendershot.

Sarah Wiler Stork died on September 26, 1887 in Highland Township and is buried at the Hill Cemetery in that township.

Further information may be obtained at the Defiance Public Library in the Stork Family History by Dick and Ginger Stork, located in the Ohioana Room. Quoted material is from their book

1812 Bicentennial Survey

On January 19, 2010, Governor Ted Strickland signed Senate Bill 93 creating the Ohio War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. The legislation placed Ohio in the forefront of Midwestern states planning for the bicentennial of the war. The eighteen-member commission was formed to raise public awareness about Ohio's role in this important conflict, while working to strengthen preservation efforts of historic sites across the state.

Ohio was the front line during the early years of the war and the scene of major battles including engagements at Fort Stephenson (Fremont, Ohio), Fort Meigs (Perrysburg, Ohio) and the Battle of Lake Erie (South Bass Island). In addition, numerous skirmishes were fought throughout the state. Thirty-one counties in Ohio have sites directly related to the War of 1812.

The Ohio Bicentennial Commission requests your help by taking a short survey to let them know more about what War of 1812 resources you have in your community and what you are wanting to see come out of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. Please use the following link to take the survey.

Eight War of 1812 gravessites were marked and added to the list of known War of 1812 veterans located in Defiance County today by the U.S. Daughters of 1812, Jacob Stemple Chapter. Susan Leininger, State President, Ohio Society U.S. Daughters of 1812 was present and took part in the ceremony also. The graves sites are located within several Defiance County rural cemeteries.

Bell Ringing for the War of 1812

U.S. Daughters of the War of 1812, Bell Ringing 12.00 noon June 18th, 2012, Defiance County East Building, Defiance, OH, Left to Right Cecelia Brown – Defiance County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogical Society, Gladys Donson – U.S. Daughters of the War of 1812 and Richard Rozevink – Working Commission Member of the State of Ohio War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

With your membership, you will receive our quarterly newsletter, "Yesteryears Trails", with unlimited submissions, you will be eligible to apply for First Families of Defiance County

How can you gain from membership in our chapter? - Be active, volunteer to work on committees and help with projects. We can always use help with abstracting information, typing, computer work, indexing, and other work. While you are working on projects you will possibly find information on your family.

How the chapter can gain from your membership? - The Defiance County Chapter is always in need of public relations, so come to the meetings and find out what our society is about. Spread the word to people, let them know that we are an organization where they can always get some type of genealogical information. Please tell everyone you talk to about genealogy and about The Defiance County Chapter of the OGS

Note: The Society Volunteers also do genealogy research by providing a name index search of the books and files in the Defiance County Public Library. Cost is postage and copying fees. Please use our contact form to start the research process.